My Latest in Wine Business Monthly: Oregon Wine Symposium 2019

Wine Business Monthly:

By L.M. Archer

Portland, OR. – More than 2,000 Oregon wine industry professionals gathered on February 12 and 13 for the annual Oregon Wine Symposium, held at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland. Hosted by the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) and Oregon Wine Association (OWA), the symposium encompassed educational seminars, a trade show, social soirée, and Industry Awards luncheon. The purpose of the Oregon Wine Symposium is to showcase the Oregon wine industry, which currently employs over 30,000 people, and generates over $5.6 billion dollars annually.

Keynote speaker Sandra E. Taylor, CEO of Sustainable Business LLC, kicked off the General Session outlining global trends and local opportunities in sustainability and brand equity. “Oregon has been a leader in sustainability for many years with its rigorous LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certification program,” says Taylor, “As the industry grows here with new entrants, and new investors outside the state, I wanted to stress the importance of environmentally sustainable practices, social responsibility to communities, and third-party certification.”

The Oregon Wine Board Communications and Marketing team also shared compelling Oregon wine media metrics, including the staggering fact that though Oregon wines comprise only 1% share in the United States, they garner nearly 20% of Wine Spectator 90+ wine rankings. But Oregon wine media coverage isn’t the only growth area. According to Nielsen, Oregon wine value grew 12.4%, and volumes increased 12.1%.

Moreover, in a show of indomitable community spirit, this year’s Symposium Soirée introduced just-bottled Oregon Solidarity rosé wines to eager industry members excited to taste a tangible example of Oregon’s collaborative spirit. “Solidarity is the effort of King Estate Winery and Willamette Valley Vineyards,” says Oregon Wine Board Communications Manager Sally Murdoch, “who teamed up to help winegrowers whose grapes were abruptly rejected this past harvest.” Silvan Ridge Winery and The Eyrie Vineyards also joined in production of the Rogue Valley AVA labeled Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé of Pinot Noir called Oregon Solidarity. Net sales proceeds from the wines will be donated to the Rogue Valley Vintners to help support vineyards in the region. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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